2016 Regional Summit

Professionals will ENGAGE with area civic and business leaders; be ENERGIZED by workshops & speakers aimed at advancing organizations & communities, and EMPOWERED to move the region forward in the spirit of collaboration.

Keynote Speakers

Jonathan CathermanAn award-winning cultural strategist, bestselling author, and education consultant, Jonathan speaks worldwide to audiences of all ages. His contagious energy and passionate speaking style entertains and inspires while his clear vision and practical instruction clarifies what principles and structural relations empower greatness in people and organizations.

Andy StollAn ESPY award-winning world traveler, social entrepreneur, and media producer, Andy speaks to audiences all over the United States. At the heart of his projects is community. Whether it is creating an incubator to assist start-ups or traveling around the world, community is a central theme in Andy’s work.

9:00 – 9:45Opening Keynote: The Strength to Lead: Do you have it? How to build it? Where to use it? When to share it?Presenter:Jonathan Catherman, award-winning cultural strategist, bestselling author and leadership consultant.

9:45 – 10:00Break

10:00 – 11:15 AMMorning Workshops

Workshop 1 Engaging Entrepreneurs, Creating JobsMorgan Room, 3rd FloorNearly 100% of the net new jobs are created by companies less than 5 years old. This presentation will dive into specific frameworks and strategies on how to unlock entrepreneurial talent in your community.

Presenter: Andy Stoll, Speaker, Social Entrepreneur and Cornell College Faculty

Workshop 2 Empowering Communities Through Free Google Mapping ToolsRoom 222It is more important today than ever before to get your community on the map, literally. Learn from a leading Google Earth expert how to make your community accessible to the world with just a click of a button. This workshop will focus on giving nonprofit, public benefit organizations and communities the knowledge and resources they need to visualize their cause and tell their stories to millions of people through Google Earth andGoogle Maps.

PresenterScott Lemmon, Google Earth Outreach Trainer

Workshop 3 Energizing Your Community with Creative Financing StrategiesBallroom LoungeInnovative financing techniques are needed for infrastructure, planning, projects and programs. This workshop will focus on stories, tools and examples that will get your community thinking outside the box when it comes to financing your next big project.

Workshop 4 Empowering Your Community with Help From the Oklahoma Department of CommerceRoom 223Network with and learn how the Oklahoma Department of Commerce can help meet your community development needs. The agency will highlight their team of professionals dedicated to advancing northeast Oklahoma. ODOC will discuss priorities, tools and resources that can help your community grow and compete on national and international stages for business opportunities.(Repeated at 3:15 Ballroom Lounge)

Workshop 5 Empowering Communities Through Innovative and Diversified ProjectsRoom 225Learn how communities are identifying strategies to meet their unique needs from addressing food insecurities in a food desert to empowering and mobilizing a community. Panelists will discuss their approaches and best community practices.

Workshop 6 Energizing Growing Industry Clusters: NORA Spotlights Workforce DevelopmentRoom 224This session will provide you with a look at tomorrow’s workforce and the high demand occupations of the future.

Andy Stoll, Speaker, Social Entrepreneur and Cornell College Faculty.In 2008, the world underwent a massive shift: The Great Recession, as it has become known, marks the end of the Industrial Age. This shift has ushered in a newly emerging “hyperconnected age”, an era driven primarily by technology, connectivity and the democratization of entrepreneurship and creativity. This shift has brought about the collapse of industries, deeply impacted manufacturing-based economies and has caused what feels, at times, like global chaos. But this era also gives unparalleled opportunities for individuals everywhere to turn ideas into reality. From medium-sized cities across the globe to rural regions in America’s heartland, communities need to build new systems and tools to help reinvent their economies through unlocking latent entrepreneurial talent. Andy Stoll, a serial entrepreneur and sought after speaker on leadership, entrepreneurship, creativity and community building, will join us for our lunch time keynote to share tales from his around-the-world adventures and some of the key lessons he learned along the way about how our communities can reinvent our economies for this new era.

1:30 – 1:45Break

1:45 – 3:00 PMAfternoon Workshops

Workshop 8 Engaging Education in Economic and Community DevelopmentRoom 226Public schools continue to teach academic core subjects but are also partnering with communities and businesses to prepare students for success in the 21st-century work environment. Innovative schools are transforming to teach digital literacy, career awareness, leadership and life skills.

Workshop 9 Energizing Small Business with Free Google Mapping ToolsRoom 222As social media and internet access increases globally, businesses today must be on the map. Learn from a leading Google Earth expert how to increase your online presence with just a click of a button. This workshop will focus on giving small businesses the tools and resources they need to showcase themselves to millions of people in Google Earth and Google Maps.

PresenterScott Lemmon, Google Earth Outreach Trainer

Workshop 10Engaging TouristsBallroom LoungeUnlock unrealized revenue through visitor development and engagement strategies. Travel is not just about where you’ve been anymore – it’s about what you did while you were there, how it made you feel, the people you met while you were there and the memories you took home. A product is what you buy; an experience is what you remember.

Workshop 11 Engaging Legislators to Advance our Region and CommunitiesRedbud Room, 3rd FloorRural representatives have a wide set of issues to address. Learn how to advocate for your federal and state priorities. A panel of elected officials, congressional staff and community leaders will share their knowledge on how to effectively impact public policy. (REPEATED at 3:15 Room 225)

Workshop 12 Engaging Site Consultants in Your Economic StrategyRoom 224Successful communities know what site selectors are looking for and are very proactive in seeking out opportunities that fit with their communities’ growth strategy. Hear from experienced professionals on how to recruit businesses, including how to use data available from local workforce offices and the Cherokee Nation.

Workshop 13 Engaging GenerationsRoom 223Youth involvement is incredibly dynamic and service driven and one of the largest generations in modern history, while baby boomers are transitioning from full-time careers to active retirement. Learn appropriate outreach techniques for engaging different generations and how to lead multi-generational teams. (REPEATED at 3:15 PM Room 223)

Workshop 14 Engaging Federal ResourcesMorgan Room, 3rd FloorUSDA Rural Development will provide information on various programs used to help communities and businesses grow. The Small Business Administration will share information regarding a new initiative “Startup in a Day” to help reduce the amount of time it takes businesses to apply for and receive permits/licenses on a local level. (REPEATED at 3:15 PM Room 221)

Workshop 15 Energize Entrepreneurship in Your CommunityRoom 225Hear directly from entrepreneurs regarding challenges opening their businesses in rural communities and how local government, local economic development organizations and the community in general can help facilitate entrepreneurship and help small businesses start and grow. funds. Come hear small business financing experts explain various programs available to small businesses in your community.